Advocates call out church “hypocrisy” over marriage equality
Image: Archbishop Julian Porteous. Image:
Archdiocese of Hobart / YouTube.
LGBTI advocates have called a Catholic Archbishop’s decision to ban a priest from speaking at a conference over his views on marriage equality “deeply hypocritical”.
Archbishop Julian Porteous banned Father Frank Brennan from speaking at a conference in Hobart, ABC News has reported.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson Rodney Croome criticised the move, given Porteous’ complaints about his own free speech being allegedly violated.
“During the marriage equality debate Archbishop Porteous regularly claimed that his free speech was being stifled and that marriage equality should be discussed freely,” said Croome.
“But now he openly admits to silencing a well-respected priest, Father Frank Brennan, at a conference in Hobart seemingly because Father Brennan supports marriage equality.
“Archbishop Porteous only cares about free speech when he is the one talking.
“From now on it will be impossible to take anything Archbishop Porteous says about free speech seriously.
“The Archbishop’s action is deeply hypocritical and I call on him to apologise for silencing Father Brennan.”
Head of Catholic Services Australia, Father Brennan had been invited to speak at a CatholicCare Tasmania conference in February.
A spokesperson for the Archdiocese confirmed that Porteous had banned him from attending.
“Archbishop Porteous addressed the conference on the issue of marriage,” said the spokesperson.
“His Grace felt it was inappropriate for Father Brennan to speak at the conference, due to his public position regarding same-sex marriage.”
During the marriage equality debate, Father Brennan had argued Catholic priests should be allowed to vote on same-sex marriage as a matter of conscience.
Former Catholic priest Paul Collins said the Archbishop was out of touch, and that many Catholic Church officials had voted Yes in the marriage equality postal survey.
“It is not as though Frank were some raging radical,” said Collins.
Catholic bishops do have the power to ban people from speaking on church grounds in their Archdiocese.
You May Also Like
Does anyone, anywhere still pay the slightest bit of attention to anything any Roman Catholic or Anglican cleric has to say?
These two Religious Businesses (why else do you think any of them have gotten into the Aged Car Business if not for the billions they get from inmates and Government and it’s all Tax Free?)
These two businesses, joined by most of the others – Baptists, Church of Christ, Salvos and other Christians and non-Christian religious businesses persist in refusing to take any responsibility for the widespread Child Sex Abuse they have allowed to occur. They, including the current head of the RC Church, Pope Francis, have colluded with men and women employees who have already been charged or are subject to charges with Child Sex Abuse in allowing these sub-humans to hide in the Vatican.
Pope Francis could, but refuses to do so, order those fugitives from Justice to leave the Vatican and face their accusers.
Closer to home, what about the current Archbishop of Adelaide?
What about the totally unjustified and minimal sentence Wilson was given by the NSW Courts?
This pathetic excuse for a man – no a Human Being – refuses to acknowledge that he did anything wrong in covering up the actions of another priest.
All religious organisations in Australia should be stripped of their Tax Free status, Their so-called “charities”, which are nothing more than money-making scams, should be denied that status and be taxed on their incomes.
Two of the world’s Biggest Multi-National Companies, the Anglican and Roman Churches are the biggest Tax Avoiders.
Their licences to operate at all should be cancelled and their properties – collectively worth hundreds – if not thousands of billions of dollars should be confiscated, sold and the money raised be used to help victims of Child Sex Abuse, the Homeless and those less fortunate than most of us.
Many sensible Catholics from Frank Brennan to various school principals to CEO’s in the Catholic welfare sector accepted the inevitability of marriage equality and had widely different positions to the official church line. Even Malcolm Turnbull (who at least at one time supported marriage equality on principle and not on statistical survey) is a Catholic, ditto Chris Pyne who also advocated within the Liberal Party for marriage equality.
But none of that equates to the Catholic hierarchy changing their position. Despite some of the brightest people within their organisation advocating otherwise the gormless yes men who rise to the high positions within the church hold the old line.
Stand up against marriage equality while denying you’re fucking alter boys. That’s the old school church position and those who differ make no difference in the long run. That’s the slow death of this ancient and occasionally useful organisation.